Growing up poor in an affluent community could have left Scott MacGregor bitter, but he chose to be grateful for family and being born in the United States. The founder and CEO of the recruiting firm SomethingNew says appreciating what you have is a catalyst for "building relationships with amazing people" who share that outlook and can become business connections. Scott says be ready to "pump the brakes, and do things right the first time and not try to score easy quick wins," whether that's choosing fitness over a fad diet or building long-term business relationships over a fast buck.

Hear how contributing to Scott's book on gratitude helped John better realize the many opportunities life places in our path.